Illuminated
by DeathsLittleBirdie
Summary: Time waits for no one so do you want to waste some time? Oh, oh tonight. Don't be afraid of tomorrow. Just take my hand. I'll make it feel so much better tonight. UlquiHime, bits of IchiRuki.


**Author's Note: So I've been dealing with some real bad writer's block and I'm hoping this little one-shot will fix it! And I know it's not the usual IchiRuki, but I've been watching a lot of AMVs of this couple and it's making me write something involving them.**

**Do no flames because you do not support this couple!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Bleach'.**_

* * *

_Kurosaki-kun…_

The smile on her face was salty from the tears that had fallen. She stared at her fingers, watching with no actual interest as they fidgeted. She had attempted to, but failed once again at telling the boy she deeply cared about her feelings. Inoue Orihime felt weak, spineless and many more names that had become a broken record in her head. She stood from her spot in the library and walked from her desk, in complete ignorance of the eyes that followed her.

Orihime walked down the decaying concrete street, the moon barely rising from its slumber and shining in the sky. Her grey eyes remained on the floor, watching the mundane action of her feet walking her back to her lonesome home. Wind brushed against her cheek and for a moment, Orihime could have sworn some of her hair was tucked behind her ear.

She shattered that thought when her body bumped against a bony and lanky figure. She blinked and placed an apologetic smile on her face as she bowed and asked for forgiveness. When fingers, long with nails that dug in her skin, wrapped around her neck, her innocent eyes wondered and the purity she once held in her eyes vanished into fear.

"Look wha' we got 'ere. Looks like some fresh meat!"

Multiple hands gripped her body, and she couldn't tell if the hands belonged to the men groping her or the fear crippling her body and keeping her in place. Her eyes widened, tears filling to the brim when one of the men reached for the hair pins in her hair. Instinct kicked in and she struggled against them. Though she did not enjoy violence, she knew she had to do what she could in order to remain in peace.

Yet, the kicks and punches she tried throwing seem unmatched to the three men. In fact, as she felt hot breath run down her neck, realization settled within Orihime that she may have added gasoline to the flame within the men with her struggling.

The fact was proven when the ring leader licked his bloody lip and smiled maliciously at the student pinned against the wall. Orihime felt disgusted when she felt the man's hand wrapped itself greedily around her neck. Air began to leave her lungs and she fought as her need to survive kicked in. That only gave more amusement to the snickering men slowly closed in.

"We're gonna have fun wit' ya tonight."

Those words reached her ears while the man's hand reached for her skirt. The hand around her neck loosened and she gulped in as much air as possible before opening her mouth to scream;

"Kurosaki-kun!"

The men's laughter echoed around her, along with the unusual sound of wings beating against the cool winter air. A shadow loomed over the crying teen, whose tears covered her terror stricken face, before the sound of wings echoed louder.

"You still cry for that fool, woman?"

Heads turned, except for Orihime's for she had her eyes closed tightly and head bowed, before the wound of wings flapping finally caught her attention. When her eyes opened and she turned her head to see what had made the men stop, she caught a mere glimpse of the men's heads falling from the their very shoulders.

Blood covered the floor, even her face and Orihime felt as if the blood was on every inch of her body as she saw the area around her turn crimson. A strangle cry flew from her lips when she slipped in the river of blood that engulfed her sense and she landed with another cry when she felt the wave of blood wash over her legs and touch her very skin.

Eyes were wide, fearful, and filled with dismay at the sight of bodies that covered the floor with their blood. The tears did not stop falling, even when the shadow that had caused it all loomed over her body.

A part of her was thankful the shadow had come for it was an excuse to stop her staring at the bodies on the floor. Another part of her wanted to scream when she saw what had saved her life, and yet stolen the lives of the men.

Wings, blacken like sin itself, were large and threatening to all that witnessed it. Fingers, long and equally black as the wings that stood out in the night sky, began to reach for her and gently pressed against her forehead. His, or whatever it was, skin was the palest thing ever imaginable, almost to the point that some may reel back at its paleness and call it hideous. And though his face, expressionless with eyes of a demon, frightened her, what truly made her blood run cold was the hole on his chest.

And through that hole, Orihime could see the crescent moon almost mocking her with its brightness.

The fingers on her forehead placed a small amount of pressure, reeling Orihime back into the reality that the thing that had been her savoir could as well be the devil himself. Her cries had stopped, but the tears flood freely. The fingers on her forehead gently grazed her skin as they ventured down to her chest, right where her heart was frantically beating against her chest. His hand pressed against the skin holding the beating organ, his body looming over her shaken form.

Their faces were inches apart and Orihime could see clearly into the frighteningly bright green eyes he held. His eyes, though they showed any emotion, studied her. Or was trying to swallow her soul whole, Orihime couldn't place a finger on which one it was.

"Remember my face, woman. For you were the one that taught me what a heart was many years ago."

Blackness filled her eyes and Orihime could do nothing as her body lost control and fell into the arms of the monster that was her savior.

* * *

_Young, filled with ignorance and true innocence, the young auburn hair child stared up at the raining sky. Her short hair clung to her face and her grey eyes stared up at the sky as it began to darken. Orihime was merely walking home from school, her friends had departed to their families and it was time for Orihime to reunite with hers._

_But first, she had to visit a certain place. Though it was raining, Orihime would not allow the brutal weather to stop her from going to her favorite place._

_Her feet made splashes in the puddles as she ran with a large smile on her face. Her cheeks were red from the blood pooling in her face in an attempt to keep her skin warm and her fingers began to go numb._

_And though she was truly excited about arriving to her secret place, she felt pain when she saw what was lying in a pool of blood._

_It seemed to be a very pale man, whose blood seemed to cover the grass with its red tint due to the rain. Of course she was taught never to speak to strangers, but the man seemed hurt and being the good child she was, she neared him._

_His eyes were closed, covered by his wet black hair and blood. A wound was above his hip and was deep, pouring out an unimaginable amount of blood onto the floor. Orihime pitied the man and slowly reached out to touch his face when pale fingers wrapped around her wrist._

"_Leave, mortal. Or I will end your life."_

_Adding to his threat, his black nails dug into her skin to intimidate her. What a shock it was when small hands gently pressed against his cheek. His green eyes opened and stared at the child who kneeled beside him with tears in her eyes._

"_Who did this to you? No one deserves this." She sobbed gently._

_His eyes narrowed and his grip on her wrist tightened until he heard a satisfied yelp flee from her lips._

"_I am a demon. You mortals believe I am a damned thing that should receive any kind of punishment or death I deserve. So do not give me your sorrows, child. Leave or I shall steal your soul."_

_Another surprise came when the child, instead of running like any other human, placed her fragile and free hand above his heart. A moment passed and she felt his heart beat slowly against the palm of her hand. She smiled weakly before turning back to the demon._

"_You have a heart. As long as you have that I think you deserve to live a peaceful life."_

_Those words struck a cord with the demon and he narrowed his gaze. His hand released her wrist before a finger pointed toward the child._

"_Hearts, you say? You humans are always so quick to speak of such things. As though you carry your hearts in the very palms of your hands. But this eye of mine perceives all. There is nothing that it overlooks. If this eye cannot see a thing, then it does not exist. That is the assumption under which I have always fought. What is this 'heart'? If I tear open that chest of yours, will I see it there? If I smash open that skull of yours, will I see it there?"_

_The feeling the demon was so accustom to seeing in human eyes revealed itself in the child's eyes. Fear. But the fear seem to fade away in the child's eyes, his own intense gaze falling flat and returning to his usual unemotional gaze. What made him question the human more was when her fingers slowly wrapped around his hand in front of her._

"_You do have a heart, mister. I know you do because if you didn't you would have killed me already instead of talking to me. So as long as you have a heart, I'm going to save you!"_

_The demon remained silent as the child stood and ran off. He could have left if he truly wanted to, but remained in place. A part of him wanting to know more of the child's ignorant logic._

* * *

_The rain had stopped the moment the child reappeared in front of the demon, a small kit and blanket in her grasp. She kneeled beside him with a wide smile and placed the warm blanket on the demon, even after he told her to get away. She slowly did what she could manage to do to help him with his wound. She was, after all, a child. Not a doctor. Orihime could only clean his wounds and bandaged them poorly, but the demon kept his remark to himself and sat up when she was done._

_Orihime wanted to protest, but stopped when the demon spoke._

"_Human child, I can kill you in a matter of seconds and yet you chose to help me. Your reasoning is beyond me." He said, his black hair stuck to his face due to the rain._

"_I know you can hurt me, mister, but you won't do it."_

"_What makes you so certain?"_

"_Because you haven't done anything to me yet, even after you tried to scare me away."_

_Silence. It consumed them for a few moments before her small hand placed itself on top of his large hand. He stared at the child, who was smiling warmly at him, before he raised his hand and gently placed his fingers against her forehead._

"_What are you doing?" Orihime asked, puzzled by the man's action._

"_I'm going to erase your memory so you don't remember this."_

_The hand on top of his quickly held onto his hand and he saw a pained expression appear on her face._

"_You can't!"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because our bond is what makes our hearts grow!"_

_The demon gaped at the human for only a second before his face turned neutral and he gently removed some hair from her face. He found the human child strange and he would not deny that she did manage to make him think things with her innocent ideology, but he knew that it would be best for her to forget him._

_He was a demon, something that should not mingle with pure things._

"_I must."_

"_Then can you do me a favor?"_

_He did not respond, instead, he waited for the child to continue._

"_Can you visit me one day?"_

_The demon closed his eyes has he tried to come up with something to say. He could only open his eyes and stare into her grey eyes._

"_Human child, you are strange."_

"_Is that a yes?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Can I hear your name?"_

_A light began to glow at his finger tips, signaling the beginning of the erasing process. As the child's eyes began to dull, he whispered his name softly to her._

"_Ulquiorra."_

_In her last bit of conciseness, she smiled and replied;_

"_I'm Orihime."_

* * *

"Orihime."

Her eyes snapped open when she heard him call out her name. She found his hand was resting on her forehead. Orihime found herself in her bed, resting peacefully with the demon kneeling by her side. Opposite of what it was like when she had first met the demon. Her memories had return during her slumber, so instead of fear, serenity was in her gaze as she smiled weakly at the demon.

"You came back."

"I was growing tired of you constantly thinking of that boy."

She could hear jealousy in the demon's voice and her eyes narrowed at how rudely he had mentioned and sat up.

"Kurosaki-kun-"

"Does not love you."

The happiness she had shattered as his cruel words stabbed her heart. The demon knew that he had caused the child- no, woman- pain when he spoke those words. However, he did not feel any form of regret at his painful words. He was determined to make the human before him stop hurting herself with her unrealistic beliefs of the boy.

Her lower lip trembled and her eyes turned away from the demon's face.

"But… But-"

"Woman," His words made Orihime stop her rambling. His hand cupped her cheek, his finger gently brushing away the lone tear that had passed her grey eyes. "that boy does not share the feelings you want him to."

"How do you know this?"

His hand turned her face to face him. Their faces were merely inches apart, their steady breath mingling in the shadows as they stared into the others eyes.

"I have seen him give looks to another woman, looks I have given you as you have grown throughout the years we have been separated. Looks of desire, love, and happiness."

The demon found it entertaining that her already wide eyes grew at his words. Her tears had stopped flowing, as if torn by two things; The demon's profession and her crush for Kurosaki-kun. Orihime closed her eyes, her body trembling when his hand gently gripped her shoulder.

"You-You… This can't be real…" Orihime cried softly as her hand clenched just above her heart.

The embrace given to her by the demon proved his words, his wings surrounding them in a cloak of darkness only made the statement even more realistic. Her eyes were wide when she felt the demon's heart gently hum against her chest, and she even felt comfort in his warm embrace. His breath ran down her ear as he slowly began to lift them both to their feet.

"I will prove how real this is, woman."

Orihime gasped as the wings that once surrounded her began to flap, her feet being lifted off the ground. Her grip on him tightened and out of fear she pressed her face against his neck as he flew out of her balcony and flew in the night sky. Her auburn hair mingled with his pale skin as they flew peacefully. Curiosity got the best of Orihime and she opened her eyes to stare up at the sky above her.

The stars, brighter than any street light on the ground, twinkled as she stared at them as if they were saying hello. The night air surrounded her in a perfect cocoon. And the sight of the demon's wings flying them away was breath taking. The wings conquered the sky with their black, outmatching all of the night's true glory with just one movement from his wings.

All too soon Orihime felt the floor beneath her, the closeness of the sky a memory she would hold dear, just like the demon holding her closely. His arms unwrapped themselves from her body and she at his face as he gently pushed her away.

"Look down." He ordered and without a second thought, she obeyed his command.

Orihime stared down from the tallest building in her town, the city lights trying to seem superior to the brightness of the sky. For a moment she was pleased, having forgotten what the demon's purpose was in bringing her here until she spotted something.

Two people, the two closest people in her life besides Tatsuki and her older brother stood together. Their lips pressed lovingly together as they held each other dearly. Her grey eyes stared at the couple who were in their own nirvana, their happiness sending emotions through her spine.

Beneath her was Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-chan.

A hand gently gripped her shoulder as she watched them both pull away. Tears streamed down her face when she saw her crush of many years smile openly to her friend of many years. An arm wrapped itself around her waist, the hand on her shoulder wrapping gently around her shoulders.

"He is in love with another."

Though Orihime cared for Kurosaki-kun and wanted nothing but happiness for him, she would not deny the small jab of pain in her chest.

"Does this anger you? Does your jealousy want to see those two covered in blood?"

The demon expected the usual reaction, her to nod and beg for him to kill those that had crushed her. Instead, she found her hand had placed itself on his arm and held onto it closely.

"I am hurting, my heart feels like it's been crushed to bits. But I can't wish them death. As long as they are happy, I will can go on and try to find my own happiness."

The demon merely brought his lips to her ear and whispered;

"Allow me to be the one to piece your heart together, woman. I will piece it together and allow you the pleasure of forgetting your sorrow and pain."

Another moment of silence engulfed them, Orihime pondering the idea, the demon waiting patiently for her answer. And though she felt pain of witnessing Kurosaki-kun kiss another, she found the pain was not as horrid as she had imagined.

All because of the demon, something that had been banished away for its sin and pure wickedness, held onto her in a warm embrace. She opened her eyes, having them closed as she thought of the demon's proposal, and turned to face him. When she turned she took a step back, making the demon extend his clawed hand out to her.

"What is your answer, woman?"

Orihime smiled weakly, one hand against her thumping heart, another shaking lightly by her side.

"My name isn't 'woman'."

Her hand slowly began to rise from her side.

"I see. Do you remember my name, Orihime?"

His hand hovered patiently as Orihime's hand was right above his, ready to take his hand.

"Yes, I do."

They hands held on to one another tightly, both staring at the other as the moon stood right above them, casting them in an eerie glow.

"Ulquiorra."

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**So this is my first UlquiHime fic so I hope all you dedicated fans enjoyed this! I may write more of this couple once I've grown more accustom to writing these two characters out. I also wanna write a GinRan dabble, but haven't decided on that yet XD. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed.**

**Review!**


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